About this role
onepot is automating chemistry. Our goal is to enable a self-improvement loop for chemistry by combining AI and advanced robotics. In this loop, AI systems design experiments, robotic systems execute them, and the resulting data improves the next generation of models.
This goal can only be achieved by bringing together people from different backgrounds: ML engineers, chemists, computer scientists, and hardware engineers. We are building a small, unusually ambitious team and are looking for a machine learning researcher to join us to help train the next generation of chemistry models.
We train models for a wide range of tasks, including reaction planning and outcome, input material costs, and mass spectra prediction. Most of these models are state-of-the-art; many are trained on proprietary datasets that are larger, and higher quality, than what exists in the literature.
Our models are primarily deployed internally for real workflows. As such, we maintain a tight feedback loop between usage, data, and model training.
The roleIn this position, you will train the next generation of chemistry models, and enable synthesis of previously inaccessible molecules.
Your work will span the full modeling stack. You will work with lab staff on data acquisition, train models of many different shapes and sizes, and deploy models directly into experimental workflows. You will build and help maintain infrastructure and abstractions for training a diverse set of models; this includes data pipelines and various system tasks such as parallelism strategies and quantization.
Ultimately, your role will be to train models with superhuman chemistry intuition and experimental capabilities.
EducationNo formal education is required. Ideal candidates will have some background in a deeply quantitative field, ideally with experience training ML models.
ExperienceStrong fundamentals in machine learning with a deep understanding of modern empirical/experimental ML
Experience developing novel model training techniques or dealing with novel tasks or datasets
Evidence that you can move quickly, make good decisions with incomplete information, and solve difficult problems without waiting for detailed instructions
Experience in a startup, research group, competition team, or other environment where you had significant ownership and limited resources is particularly relevant
SkillsFamiliarity with PyTorch or other machine learning frameworks
Knowledge of basic machine learning theory
Enthusiasm about working across the entire machine learning stack (data, training, inference, deployment)
Comfort working across disciplines and learning unfamiliar technical areas as necessary
Strong written and verbal communication skills
Curiosity and excitement about chemistry
A strong bias toward building, testing, and learning from real systems
Particularly relevant experienceExperience in any of the following areas would be useful, but we do not expect one person to have all of it:
Training LLM models (particularly mid- and post-training)
Computer vision and embedded systems/robotics
Machine learning systems (kernels, distributed training, etc.)
Familiarity with chemistry models (retrosynthesis, mass spec modeling, etc.) or cheminformatics
Active learning or other techniques suited for low-data regimes
Scaling experiments and determining scaling laws
Who will thrive hereYou may be a strong fit if you:
Want to see your models used rather than benchmarked — here the loop closes in the lab, not on a leaderboard
Are energized rather than discouraged by novel tasks with no established baseline or dataset
Reach across the whole stack, from data acquisition through training to what runs in production
Move with urgency while keeping enough rigor to know whether a result is real
Want substantial responsibility early, including over what gets built and why
Are willing to work outside a narrow job description to make the overall system succeed
Additional requirementsAbility to work extended hours and weekends as necessary
onepot works fully in person in our South San Francisco lab
Ability to work safely in an active chemistry laboratory and around scientific equipment. This position does not involve lab work, but some projects may require an understanding of lab workflows.
BenefitsLunches and dinners (if staying late) in office
Commute stipend
Top-of-the-line insurance
Generous equity grants
onepot is an equal-opportunity employer.